Securing the interior of your house is important but so is the outside. If you’ve ever experienced break-ins in your home, then an outdoor camera has to be on your list. The Nest Cam Outdoor Camera is designed to keep you informed about any potential danger before it happens. In this Nest Cam Outdoor camera review, we take you through the camera’s performance and shortcomings.

Nest Cam Outdoor Camera Review – Features

The Nest Cam Outdoor Camera comes in a white weatherproof enclosure with dimensions of 6.5 x 8 x 6.6 inches and weighing 1.8 pounds. In the box you will find:

One camera,

1 x 10ft USB power cable,

1 x 15ft USB with a weatherproof power cord and two-prong plug,

A magnetic base,

Mounting bracket for the power cable,

Camera wall plate,

Cable clips,

Mounting screws,

Welcome guide, and

Installation guide.

Installation

Getting the camera set up and running is dead easy. The Nest Cam has a weatherproof USB cable connecting to the junction box, which is attached to a wall using the bracket provided. Simply attach the plug to the outdoor socket and you’ll be done with the installation, leaving your camera to handle its primary task.

In case you don’t have an outdoor electrical outlet, you will need to drill a hole through the wall and use the USB cable to plug into the closest power outlet. Luckily, you have a 25-ft extension cord that can work in your favor here.

Then, you will screw the magnetic mount onto a wall and attach the camera to the mount. The strong magnetic grab will hold the camera in place and you can rotate the Nest Cam to your desired position.

Connectivity

The Nest Cam outdoor camera works with an excellent Wi-Fi connectivity of 802.11 a/b/g/n, 2.4GHz. It has an app, Nest Aware, which links up all your mobile devices to the camera, making it pretty handy. If you happen to have the Nest Cam Indoor and/or Nest Thermostat, they will all work with the same app.

The Nest Cam app was developed with intelligence in mind since it turns on/off automatically the moment you are within the location and when you leave home. Furthermore, you can set it to your desired time plus it can also support several users.

Worth mentioning is that the camera has anIFTTT channelwhere you can interact with other third-party smart home gadgets such us SkyBell Doorbell, Philips Hue and LIFX smart lighting, just to name a few.

Video quality

The default video resolution of the Nest Cam outdoor camera is 720p but it can be upgraded to capture 1920 x 1080p HD videos. Note that you will need a broad bandwidth to achieve this. In any case, the auto setting still delivers clear videos so you can as well work with it.

Night vision is also bright and clear plus the fact that the camera auto switches to night mode makes it extra convenient. Powered by 8 high-power IR LEDs (850 nm), the camera can see as far as 40ft or 20ft depending on its position.

It offers 24/7live video streaming and 24/7 continuous recording of which it saves videos to your Nest account. This allowsyou to see the full history of events, unlike models that only record event snapshots. To view videos, you must subscribe to Nest Aware on a suitable plan. The good thing is, Nest Cam gives you a 30-day trial subscription whereby you pay zero. Nest Aware allows you to rewind, fast-forward and even pinpoint trigger points by freezing the images.

What’s more? The Nest Cam outdoor camera can promote security all around your neighborhood. Create a public or password-protected live stream to share with your neighbors so everyone can stay alert to external threats.

Audio

The Nest Cam outdoor camera takes pride in allowing two-way communication, thanks to an integrated microphone and speaker. Any form of noise is clear and crisp without time lags. There’s a setting that allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the microphone if you wish to. Backed with noise and motion detectors, you are sure to receive a notification if anything unwanted occurs.

Other extras here include activity zones, which are target areas for specific monitoring. Create, save and download video clips featuring your activity zones, and set person alerts to get notifications when the Nest Cam sees a human.

Weatherproof

Just like any other outdoor camera, the Nest Cam outdoor camera is built to withstand the elements. It has a weatherproof rating of IP65 which means it can fend off low-pressure water jets and keep off dust. It additionally copes very well with harsh weather even in temperatures as low as -20 degrees C or high as 40 degrees C. On top of it all, the Nest Cam Outdoor Camera plugs into power so you will never worry about dead batteries.

Pros

Simple installation.

Compatible with third-party devices.

Allows creating and sharing of clips through Nest Aware.

Has 24/7 video streaming and recording.

Clear night vision.

Has two-way talk system.

Gives person alerts.

Withstands elements and extreme outdoor conditions.

Cons

Requires subscription to use basic features.

Might involve extra work to connect to an indoor power source if there’s none outside.

An easy target for burglars since it only mounts onto a magnetic base rather than being a solid fix on a wall.

Aye or Nay?

Depending on what you want or looking for, the Nest Cam Outdoor camera might be ideal for you. It has some remarkable features and the Nest Aware app makes it possible for you to look after your home from wherever you are. Furthermore, you can manage several Nest Cam IP cameras using this single app.

All things considered, the Nest Cam Outdoor camera is a true home security monitor, whether day or night, come rain, come shine. We hope this Nest Cam Outdoor camera review has informed you enough to make a decision.